


The Hamster is Dead

by kethni



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, F/M, Season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 15:37:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11360418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: ‘Hey, did you forget I’m the woman around here?’Kent cleared his throat. ‘I beg your pardon?’‘You’ve gone red as a baboon’s ass and you’re squirming like some chick whose boss has got his sweaty hand on her thigh.’He squared his shoulders. ‘But you’re the one who chose to move into my personal space,’ he said. ‘You insisted on it and refused to brook any denials.’‘What’s your problem?’ Selina asked. ‘Do I smell? Am I so physically fucking repulsive that you can’t bear to have me near you?’





	The Hamster is Dead

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to Intronerd for the suggestion!

Stupidity was infinite and Ray was infinitely stupid. It was easily said, yet in practice the depths of his stupidity were astonishing.

At first, Kent had wondered if there was a joke that he wasn’t quite comprehending. Some strange humour that was escaping him. Kent was continuously surrounded by people for whom he had to dumb himself down, explain what seemed to be basic concepts, and yet Ray was something else. Kent had more intelligent discussions with his cat. Significantly more. Selina was not a woman who lacked intelligence, she must surely realise how badly Ray’s employment reflected on her. Let alone her _unofficial_ relationship with him.

Kent was quite used to being the most intelligent person in the room. He wasn’t used to the gulf between himself and the least intelligent person in the room being _quite_ so vast.

At first, there was a strange fascination in talking to Ray. His perspective was almost _alien_ , his lack of knowledge was almost simian, and his self-absorption was almost feline. However, there was something aggressively stupid about Ray. Not just a lack of knowledge but a wilful ignorance, proud of its failing to the point of sneering at intelligence. That was the most alien part. That was the thing that Kent found utterly unforgivable.

‘We used to give swirlies to kids like you,’ Ray said cheerfully to Kent.

‘I used to get boys like you expelled,’ Kent said.

‘Bullshit.’

‘Not at all.’ Kent tucked his hands in his pockets. ‘Bullies are like roaches, they only thrive in darkness. A little foresight in recording the threats, a trip to the principal, and squish. No more roach problem.’

A muscle twitched in Ray’s cheek. ‘Education’s overrated,’ he said.

‘Spoken by a man with little of it,’ Kent said. ‘What happened, did you give a swirly to the wrong boy?’

‘Hey, I did just fine for myself!’

Someone tugged at Kent’s sleeve before he could answer. Ben jerked his thumb towards the door.

‘C’mon,’ he said. ‘Leave Cro-Magnon man alone, I need you.’

‘I’m from California,’ Ray said helpfully.

Kent was still shaking his head as Ben handed him a drink.

‘Scary, isn’t it?’ Ben said. ‘Nothing that stupid should be able to breathe and move at the same time, let alone walk and talk.’

‘Terrifying.’ Kent sipped his drink. ‘I don’t understand why we are employing an imbecile who cannot be trusted to understand the delicate issues to which he, for some unfathomable reason, is already being exposed.’

Ben gave him a disbelieving look. ‘You don’t?’

‘There is no shortage of physical trainers with IQs above room temperature.’

‘How many of them is Selina fucking?’

Kent coughed as his whiskey went down the wrong way. Ben thumped him on the back.

‘You seriously didn’t know?’ Ben asked.

‘How would I know that?’

Ben shrugged. ‘They’re not you and Sue. They’re not mysterious. They’re not subtle. She’s banging him. its literally the only reason the rest of us even know he exists.’

Kent tried to force it into a shape he could comprehend. ‘But he’s an idiot.’

‘Yeah, I know. Pretty people can get away with having their brains rattling around lose inside their heads.’

‘Why would she wish to date someone so below her level intellectually?’ Kent wondered. ‘He’s… moronic. Imbecilic. An offence to the theory of human evolution.’

Ben laughed as he sat down. ‘They’re not dating, they’re fucking. I know your databanks probably don’t have much on human sexuality, but some people, especially rich and powerful ones, are happy to have meaningless sex with pretty or otherwise physically attractive idiots. The only difference here is that she’s a woman.’

Kent shook his head. ‘I expected better from her,’ he said quietly.

‘Then you’re an idiot,’ Ben said. ‘Never expect better. Not from any politician and certainly not from her.’

‘Right.’

***

Despite the time he had spent privately imagining just this situation, Kent found that he didn’t enjoy firing Ray. Contrary to his reputation, Kent was not immune to the distress of other people, nor did he enjoy it. Not even when the distress was richly deserved.

When Ray had eventually grasped that he was being fired, he was apoplectic. When he finally realised that he was also being dismissed from Selina’s bed, he wept like a baby. It was deeply unpleasant, and Kent’s dreadful day was not improved by Sue blaming him for Selina’s entirely characteristic vacillation over meeting Prince Charles. That was even more unpleasant, and he was feeling quite sorry for himself on the flight back on Air Force Two.

Selina came back from the bathroom and sat on the other side of the table. ‘Jesus, she said. ‘You look like I feel.’

‘Apologies,’ Kent said.

Selina shook her head. ‘Don’t apologise for feeling shitty.’ She pointed at him. ‘That’s toxic masculinity. Making men feel like they can’t show vulnerability.’

Gary gasped. ‘Oh, my God, you’re right!’

‘I don’t normally read the books that Catherine waves at me,’ Selina said. ‘But I glanced at one in the bathroom.’

‘I’m familiar with the theories of toxic masculinity and patriarchy damaging men and boys as well as women and girls, Kent said.

Gary was looking queasy. ‘What does it do?’

Selina rolled her eyes. ‘Nothing to you, you big pussy.’

‘I’m masculine,’ Gary muttered.

‘Sure, Liberace,’ Selina said. ‘Go check my tea is brewing, would you?’

Kent noticed the hurt look dash across the other man’s face.

He didn’t know why Gary continued to work for Selina when she seemed to be constantly demeaning and belittling him. She hardly treated anyone with respect, but seemed to treat Gary with disdain most of the time. Putting up with that daily from a woman he clearly loved, demonstrated enough perseverance to be worth a tiny sliver of something that could pass for respect in a dim and dirty light.

‘Shitty fucking day,’ Selina said, kicking off her shoes and sitting back.

Kent nodded.

‘Never fuck people you work with,’ Selina said wisely. ‘Never work with people you fuck.’ She blew out her cheeks. ‘I think Gary’s pissed he didn’t get to dump Ray. He normally gets that pleasure.’

‘I doubt he would have enjoyed it,’ Kent said. ‘Gary has never struck me as a sadist.’

Selina screwed up her face. ‘Ray was a whiner, huh?’

‘As unhappy as he was to lose his position in your employ, he was significantly more distressed about the termination of your personal relationship.’

‘He didn’t hit you?’ Selina asked.

Kent shook his head. ‘He was more emotional than aggressive.’

‘Oh.’ Her brow wrinkled. ‘Like crying?’

Kent nodded.

‘Jesus. We’d barely been sleeping together a month.’ She crossed her legs. ‘Are you one of those people who freaks out when people cry?’

Kent considered his response. As much as she made sarcastic comments about his perceived coldness, he knew that she had no time for emotional vulnerability.

‘It’s not pleasant,’ he said. ‘Tears of emotional distress have a different chemical composition to other sorts of tears and have been shown to lower the testosterone of men in the vicinity.’

‘No shit?’ Selina tucked her legs under her. ‘What affect does a woman screaming at you down the phone have?’

Kent sighed. ‘Personally, it engages the adrenal glands to an excessive degree.’

Selina smiled slightly. ‘You run away?’

‘Many men struggle to relate to women without at least remembering that their mother was once the ultimate authority.’

Selina sniggered. ‘You’re scared of your mommy?’

Kent shrugged. ‘Afraid of not pleasing. You mentioned toxic masculinity before. It’s been hypothesized that the cultural pressure on men to “win” women has been extremely damaging both for women and men.’

Selina stared at him. ‘You actually know about this stuff.’

Kent waggled his hand. ‘A basic understanding only.’

‘If you’re trying to gain approval from Sue, then you’re gonna have a bad time,’ Selina said. ‘This is why I couldn’t be a lesbian. When men are emotionally withholding fuckers it’s just because they’re men. When women are cold bitches it’s because they choose to be.’

‘How is your mother?’ Kent asked politely.

‘The usual. Self-righteous and insanely demanding.’ She thumped her fist against the arm of her chair. ‘She never forgave me for divorcing Andrew.’

‘Why?’ Kent asked.

‘Seriously,’ Gary said, giving Selina her tea.

Kent hadn’t even noticed him.

Selina gave Gary a dark look but spoke to Kent. ‘Because, I don’t know, she had this romantic fantasy about him being a “charming rogue.” You know what charming rogues are bad at?’

‘Being anything other than a cliché?’

‘Responsibility,’ Selina said. ‘You worry about disappointing women, Andrew does nothing but. He disappoints me, Catherine, and any woman who leaves him alone in the near her cheque book.’ She shook her head. ‘You’d think I’d be okay with Ray. He’s too stupid to be embezzling or running a scam. Yeah. Turns at he was too stupid not to fuck me over.’ She looked at Kent. ‘You ever date a moron?’

‘No.’

Selina lolled back in her chair. ‘But you’ve dated people dumber than you.’

Kent shifted his feet. ‘Intelligence isn’t an absolute. I have been friends with people who couldn’t tell one end of a spreadsheet from the other but they were a gifted mechanic, or couldn’t tie their shoes but were brilliant physicists.’

‘You’re not claiming Ray is some kind of idiot savage,’ Selina said.

‘Savant,’ Gary muttered.

‘No, just an idiot,’ Kent said, glancing at Gary. ‘And to my knowledge I’ve never dated an idiot.’

‘You’d think an idiot couldn’t screw you over,’ Selina said.

‘I didn’t imagine that the reason for your issues with Andrew was anything to do with his intelligence,’ Kent said dryly.

Selina snorted. ‘That’s for damn sure.’

Kent cell chimed. He checked it and sighed.

‘Problem?’ Selina asked.

‘A purely personal one,’ he said. ‘I have inadvertently angered Sue.’

Selina pushed her fingers through her hair. ‘Sue is a gold star level self-sufficient woman. Aren’t you too old to be jumping through hoops trying to keep her happy? Date some bimbo. They’re so much more relaxing.’

Selina closed her eyes, and didn’t see the redness flush into his cheeks. Too old. It was always something. Some reason or other to not be right, not be good enough, to not fit properly. He hadn’t dated a great many women. He knew he was a specialised taste, and of course he was always busy.

Excuses, of course. Ray was a moron, undoubtedly, but he was confident and relaxed. Perhaps if he kept to yes and no answers he could even be charming. Perhaps.

Kent wasn’t charming. He wasn’t relaxed. He wasn’t confident. Not with women. He read the books. He looked at websites. He even asked friends. The advice ranged from the useless to the useful, and the insane to the solidly logical.

It didn’t help. Whatever technique or approach Kent tried, he always fumbled and stumbled. He was often unsure how to best communicate with other people, but with potential romantic partners his common difficult spiralled into nightmarish. Talking to women he was seeing was clogged with anxiety and dread.

Selina could smile and crook her finger to have men flocking around. The idea of her giving him advice was laughable. But he still tried to appreciate the thought.

***

It wasn’t a surprise. His relationship with Sue had been in its death throes for a while. Nonetheless, it hurt. It hurt just to breathe.

Every time. It happened every time. Each time he promised himself that he’d know better. He told himself that he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He would be realistic and rational. He wouldn’t get over-invested.

And every time he let himself down.

‘You look like shit,’ Selina said.

‘I slept badly,’ Kent said briskly.

‘Gary wouldn’t let me go out all bloodshot.’ Selina fidgeted with her pen.

‘Is something wrong, Ma’am?’ Kent asked, restraining a sigh.

‘I’m bored, she said with an openness that took him aback.

‘We’re in the middle of a campaign,’ Kent said.

Selina shrugged. ‘And all I do is work. What I need is some fun.’ She rolled her eyes at his expression. ‘You _clearly_ need some fun.’

‘No, thank you. Kent said firmly. ‘I have a lot of work to do.

‘C’mon, Kent,’ Selina wheedled. ‘I know you’ve got a report somewhere that all work and no play makes Selina a dull girl.’

Now he sighed. ‘Rest and recreation are certainly important to one to operate at peak efficiency.’

‘Exactly.’ Selina drummed her fingers on her desk. ‘Do you like pizza? I don’t get to eat it very often but when I do... Damn.’

‘I have... complicated issues with pizza, Kent admitted. ‘Properly the base should be very thin and crisp. That’s the Italian style. However, I was brought up with deep dish pizza and the effect of nostalgia and an appeal to childhood comfort is potent.’

‘Like Chicago style?’

‘Precisely,’ Kent said.

She snickered. ‘Are you… are you from Chicago? You sure as fuck don’t sound like it.’

He shrugged. ‘The accent varies.’

Selina shook her head. ‘I’m never gonna look at you the same way again.’ She rang for the kitchen. ‘My mom would be rather died than give me pizza,’ she said. ‘Oh, hi,’ she said into the phone. ‘Can we get some pizza up here? Some regular, some thin crust, and some deep dish. Different flavours. Great.’ she paused. ‘Oh, and beer.’

‘Beer?’ Kent queried.

‘Can’t drink Scotch with pizza,’ Selina said.

Kent pulled a face.

‘I never had beer and pizza with Amy when she was campaign manager,’ Selina mused.

‘Perhaps you should’ve done,’ Kent said mildly.

Selina kicked off her shoes. ‘I knew you and Ben didn’t approve of me letting her go. He told me at the time. I could feel you glowering about it.’

Kent loosened his tie. ‘It was an unfortunate situation. But Amy was a loss.’

‘Didn’t hear you saying Dan was a loss,’ Selina said.

Kent shrugged. ‘Dan sailed too close to the wind. As you know, I nearly had to fire him over the Danny Ching torture story. It was inevitable than Dan would crash sooner or later.’

Selina smirked. ‘And you don’t like him.’

‘No, I don’t,’ Kent admitted. ‘I strongly mistrust charm. Too often otherwise sensible people are swayed by it. It’s as if a primitive part of the brain is accessed at the expense of logic and reason.’

The pizzas and beers were brought in. Selina opened a beer.

‘You mean me?’ she asked.

‘What?’ Kent asked, then his eyes widened.

‘No! Christ. No. I didn’t fuck Dan,’ Selina said. ‘How dumb do you think I am?’

Kent nibbled a slice of pizza. ‘Amy dated him. You dated Ray and married Andrew. The most level-headed of us can make foolish choices in the pursuit of happiness and companionship.’

‘That why you’ve been so mopey?’ Selina asked. ‘Because you split up with Sue?’

Kent set his shoulders. ‘I’m not aware of my demeanour altering.’

Selina nodded and swallowed a mouthful of food. ‘Oh God, yeah. People who know you, know you’re in a shitty mood.’

Kent looked away. ‘Failed relationships are always unpleasant.’

‘I hear you,’ Selina said. ‘But you gotta pull yourself up, slap on a smile, and get out there again. There’s few people who wanna date some miserable asshole, and those that do are creepy fuckers you should avoid.’

Kent gritted his teeth and counted to ten. She meant well, in her own emotionally tone-deaf way. He knew that she meant well.

‘Right,’ he said. ‘Sure.’

‘You’re not a young guy anymore –’

‘Thank you,’ he interrupted. ‘I should be going.’

‘Oh, don’t pout,’ she said. Sneered, almost.

‘You don’t have the first idea what you are talking about,’ Kent said. He couldn’t stop himself. ‘You’re beautiful, accomplished powerful, and charismatic. You’re not me. You’re not like me. You don’t know me.’

Selina narrowed her eyes. ‘This the tone you wanna take when I’m trying to help you out?’

Kent’s temper was never enduring. Having snapped at Selina, he felt the anger drain away.

‘No,’ he said. ‘It’s not.’

Selina scowled and snorted at a breath. ‘Sit down and eat your pizza, asshole.’

***

It was different for her. He regretted losing his temper but nothing he’d said was untrue. It was true that from time to time he was approached by the… socially upwardly mobile. Women who had not quite realised that now they could legitimately make it under the own steam without shackling themselves to a man. He never took them up on their offers, and he generally pointed out that they were operating on faulty assumptions. As much as female ambition was despised by the misogynistic, _direct_ and _honest_ female ambition was preferred to behind the scenes manipulation. They were still at a disadvantage, but for the first time there was a distinct preference for honest ambition over dishonest meekness.

Kent supported and admired female ambition. But he preferred to aid it, rather than provide a distraction which allowed it to sneak in unnoticed. Perhaps to outsiders it was a small difference, but to him it was distinct.

He wasn’t embarrassed to be working for a woman. He wasn’t resentful at working for a woman. Not even one like Selina who, in many respects, aped the worst aspects of stereotypical male behaviour and proceeded to exaggerate them to a ridiculous degree. He privately suspected that it came from insecurity. She was a good deal less confident and comfortable in her own skin than she appeared.

That was one reason he wasn’t surprised that she blamed him for the tied election. Her fragile ego couldn’t cope with taking responsibility for the failure. It wasn’t at all surprising for a politician.

He was slightly surprised that she refused his resignation.

He was quite surprised that she was surprised he offered it.

He was very surprised that she was offended.

He was astonished that she slapped him.

‘You made this mess, buster,’ she said, shaking her hand. ‘You can help fix... Ow! My fucking hand! What is your face made of, concrete?’

‘Bone?’ Kent said, his hand pressed to his cheek. ‘Muscles, skin...’

He trailed off when Selina glowered at him.

‘Do you think this is funny?’ she demanded.

‘Not in the least. Contrary to what you clearly believe, we have all worked incredibly hard for this. We are crushed to have that work apparently for nothing.’

Selina put her hands on her waist. ‘And your response is to run away? How is that helpful? I don’t get to fucking run away! I have to stay here and try to make this goddamn mess _work_.’

Kent frowned. ‘I wasn’t attempting to “run away.” I only wished to leave on my own terms rather than give Ben the pleasure of firing me.’

Selina gave a slightly unwilling smile. ‘He’d fucking love that.’ She blew out her cheeks. ‘Look, I’m pissed at you. I absolutely hold you responsible for this.’

Kent set his shoulders. ‘You’ve made that clear.’

‘But let’s not go fucking nuts,’ Selina said. She shrugged. ‘I know you worked your ass off, and I really can’t afford to lose you.

‘And you just assaulted me,’ Kent said.

‘Yeah,’ she said sheepishly. ‘I probably shouldn’t have done that.’

‘Probably?’

‘Don’t push your luck,’ Selina said, scowling.

***

‘She _hit_ you?’ Sue said in a tone that was as close as incredulous as she came.

‘Slapped me,’ Kent corrected.

Sue shook her head as she swiped his cheek with an antiseptic wipe. ‘How did a slap result in scratches?’

‘Rings,’ Kent said flatly.

Sue considered her hand. ‘That must have hurt her.’

‘Her pain is not the most pressing issue on my mind,’ Kent said

Sue pursed her lips. ‘These are noticeable but they certainly don’t require stitches.’

‘I need to cover them up before she sees them,’ Kent said.

Sue raised an eyebrow. ‘This will be the second time she has injured you and the second time you have covered it up.

Kent gave her a look. ‘The lipstick was an accident.’

‘Slapping you wasn’t,’ Sue said.

‘She’s under a great deal of stress.’

Sue sat back. ‘You sound like a battered wife.’

Kent frowned. ‘I hardly think that’s a valid comparison.’

‘Merely drawing your attention to the unfortunate tone,’ Sue said, standing up. ‘I hope that you will have the sense to resign before she punches you.’

‘You’re not as amusing as you believe,’ Kent said. ‘Where are you going?’

‘To borrow some foundation. Surely you cannot imagine mine will work on you?’ she asked archly.

Kent straightened his tie. ‘The sarcasm is unnecessary.’

‘Unnecessary but enjoyable. Remain there.’

Kent ran his fingers through his hair as he waited. Selina had an appalling temper and it was a very stressful and emotional time. Even so, he couldn’t quite believe that she’d hit him. Kent had been involved in a few physical alterations, mostly in his teen years, and with a few more recently due to MC related tussles, but never at work and certainly never with a woman.

Selina didn’t even hit Andrew when he’d slept with her and then immediately returned to his girlfriend. She hadn’t even hit Roy, and surely his revolting views were almost crying out for it.

Sue slipped back into the room with several pots, a makeup stick, and both a sponge and a small brush.

‘Have I said how much I admire those who can apply makeup skilfully?’ he said. ‘It seems an underappreciated art form.’

‘It is.’ Sue twisted the stick and a sickly green wedge appeared.

Kent eyed it distastefully. ‘I presume that is to counter the redness of the scratches?’

‘Yes. The only cover-up in the West Wing that definitely works.’

Kent leaned back to allow her to draw the stick along the scratches. ‘You’re in a... frisky mood.’

‘I won a significant amount of money,’ she said.

Kent stared at her. ‘You _bet_ on the election?’

‘You said the results of your polls showed it was so close that it fell inside the margin of error,’ she said. ‘I know that your work is extremely reliable. Therefore, a tie seemed plausible.’

‘Sue! You can’t –’

The door was thrown open. ‘Sue, what are you doing with my –’ Selina stopped and stared at them. ‘ – makeup. Sue,’ she said, in an almost emotionless voice. ‘Why are you looming over Kent and slapping war paint on him.’

Kent knew. He knew what Sue was going to say even as he felt himself freeze.

‘I am helping Mr Davison cover the scratches you gave him,’ Sue said. ‘With your rings when you slapped him.’

Selina’s mouth dropped open. ‘I didn’t!’ She looked again at Kent’s cheek, and then at her rings. ‘Fuck.’ She put her hands on her hips. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

Kent shrugged. ‘It didn’t seem a useful conversation.’

‘I should blend this in and continue,’ Sue said. She carried on without waiting for an answer.

‘Wow, you and me have totally different ideas of what constitutes useful,’ Selina said to Kent. ‘How were you planning on explaining to Gary why Sue wanted to borrow my makeup? We don’t _exactly_ wear the same shades!’

Kent glanced at Sue. ‘You went to Gary?’

‘Good makeup is expensive,’ she said. ‘It seemed fair. Whose did you use last time?’

‘FLOTUS,’ Kent said. ‘She was kind enough to apply it.’

Selina waved her hands. ‘What fucking last time?’

Sue cleaned her fingers on a tissue and opened the liquid foundation. ‘When you struck Mr Davison with the lipstick.’

‘That was Gary’s fault! Jesus, you’re making me sound like a violent asshole.’ Selina squirmed. ‘You had to cover your eye up after?’

‘Yes,’ Kent said.

‘No wonder that self-righteous cow hated me,’ Selina said. She tapped her foot. ‘Okay. I can do that, Sue. You better go back to your desk.’

Sue looked at Kent.

He cleared his throat. ‘I... would prefer it if Sue...’

‘I didn’t ask you,’ Selina said. ‘Go on, Sue. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do.’

Sue hesitated, which Kent appreciated, and then left the room.

Kent stood quickly. ‘I’m sure that I can manage, Ma’am.’

‘Sit your ass down,’ Selina said. ‘If that stuck up bitch FLOTUS can do this then I sure can. C’mon. I don’t have all day.’

Kent licked his lips but Selina was blocking the door and showing no sign of leaving the room. After a few moments, he sat down. Selina perched on the arm of his chair.

The delicate perfume that she wore washed over him.

‘We’re a pair, you and me,’ she said. ‘Me with Mount Vesuvius on my face and you looking like you interrupted a cat fight.’

Kent glanced at her. ‘Yours looks more painful,’ he muttered.

Selina leaned in closer. ‘Hurts like a bitch,’ she said. Then she scowled. ‘Hey, did you forget I’m the woman around here?’

Kent cleared his throat. ‘I beg your pardon?’

‘You’ve gone red as a baboon’s ass and you’re squirming like some chick whose boss has got his sweaty hand on her thigh.’

He squared his shoulders. ‘But you’re the one who chose to move into _my_ personal space,’ he said. ‘You insisted on it and refused to brook any denials.’

‘What’s your problem?’ Selina asked. ‘Do I smell? Am I so physically fucking repulsive that you can’t bear to have me near you?’

Kent looked away. ‘I’m merely uncomfortable being in such close quarters with a woman with whom I have a purely professional relationship.’

‘Tell that to your chubby.’

Kent felt the blood drain from his face as he looked first at her and then down at himself. ‘I… I… Ma’am, I apologise for…’

Selina snorted. ‘Oh, take that stick out of your ass. I know erections do their own thing.’

‘Nonetheless –’

She kissed him. First a chaste close-mouthed kiss. Then she looked at him before kissing him slowly and parting her lips.

Kent stared at her as she pulled back and stood up.

‘Don’t go thinking this means that you’re off the hook for the electoral tie,’ she said. ‘I’m still pissed about that.’

‘Uh,’ Kent said. ‘Right. But…’

Selina put her hands on her hips. ‘But what? You got a problem?’

He shook his head meekly. ‘No. No problem.’

‘Good.’ She flicked back her hair. ‘Now sit still and let me finish this up.’

 

The End

 


End file.
